Parishes: Newington

NEWINGTON

LIES the next parish eastward, being usually called Newington near Hythe, to distinguish it from the other parish of this name near Sittingborne. It is written in Domesday, Neventone, and it is probable took its name from some more antient town, which had been before built in the near neighbourhood of it.

THIS PARISH extends in length from the sea shore northward to the hamlet of Arpinage, which having a street so called, is situated at the northern extremity of this parish, near Padlesworth. Part of it is within the manor of Newington Belhouse, and part within the manor of Tirlingham, in Folkstone, to which it is an appendage. Mr. Brockman owns the principal farm in it. It lies about half a mile beyond the ridge of chalk or down hills, which cross this parish on that side, as the quarry or sand hills do on the southern side, near the sea shore. The whole parish, like those adjoining, consists of romantic high hill and dale, the soil of which is much the same as that of Cheriton last described. The church stands on high ground, with the village close on the north side of it. In the north-west part of it, close under the down-hills, is the seat of Beachborough, having on the hill close to it, an octagon summer-house, with a cupola roof, from whence is a most extensive prospect over the neighbouring country, to all which it is a distinguished object, and beyond it over the sea to the coast of France. Adjoining to the park grounds of Beachborough eastward, there is much coppice wood. This parish is well watered by two streams, one of which comes from Beechborough-hill, and having supplied the large bason belonging to that seat, runs southward under Saltwood castle, to the east end of the town of Hythe, three houses of which, as well as the mill which it turns there, are within this parish, this stream being the boundary between the two parishes, and thence to the sea shore; the other, called the Seabrook, rises under the down hills at the north-west bounds of this parish, near Eching-hill, at a place called Lintwell, whence it takes its course southward at the foot of Milkey-down through Beechborough woods to the hamlet of Frogwell, where it turns a mill, and running thence between the village of Newington and the hamlet of Bargrave, it goes to Hornstreet, in the parish of Cheriton, and thence to the sea shore, where it loses itself among the beach. Bargrave formerly had owners of its own name, as appears by a charter of the reign of king Henry III. in the register of the abbey of St. Radigund, wherein the sons of John de Beregrave, of this parish, conveyed lands here to Bertram de Criol. It now belongs to Mr. Brockman, of Beechborough. At Pean farm, in this parish, close under the down-hills, the stream rises, which soon enters the parish of Cheriton, and runs thence through the town of Folkestone into the sea there, both which have been already noticed in the description of those parishes.

Dr. Gale, in his Comment on Antoninus's Itinerary, says, Roman monies has been dug up in this village.

In 1760, some men being at work on the highway in grubbing up a hedge, at Milkey-down, in this parish, in order to widen the road, they sound a human skeleton, which appeared perfect, except the skull, which seemed to have been fractured or much bruised. The body of it seemed not to have been laid at length. No remains of any hair, linen, or woollen garments were found, nor any marks of there having been a coffin; but about the place where the neck lay, were various sorts of beads, of different sizes, shapes, and colours, all with holes through them, as if strung for a necklace, and some of them were in the shape of drops for ear-rings, and thought to be agate; some of the lesser ones were pebbles, others glass, coral, or red earthen were; small wire was found with them; but too much decayed to preserve. Near the same place, two more skeletons were dug up a few days after; with one were found some small beads, the same as with the former; but these had the appearance of having been laid in coffins, which were however quite decayed, and the handles on moving them crumbled away to dust.

THE MANOR OF NEWINGTON, called afterwards from the possessors of it, THE MANOR OF NEWINGTON BELHOUSE, was, at the time of taking the survey of Domesday, part of the possessions of Hugo deMontfort; accordingly it is thus described in that record, under the general title of his possessions, as follows:

Hugo himself holds Neventone. Ederic held it of king Edward, and it was taxed at two shillings then, and now at one, because the other is without his division. The arable land is two carucates, and there they are in demesne. There is a church and twenty-one borderers, and three servants with three carucates. There are three mills, and an half of one hundred and five shillings. The whole, in the time of king Edward the Consessor, was worth twelve pounds, and afterwards three pounds, now twelve pounds, which Hugo has within his division.

The other suling, mentioned above, as being without the division of Hugo de Montfort, is thus described under the general title of the bishop of Baieux's possessions, as being held of him:

Hugo de Montfort holds of the bishop one suling of waste land without his division, and it adjoins to Neuentone manor, which he has within his division, and there he has one borderer. It is and was worth separately sixty shillings.

On the voluntary exile of Robert de Montfort, grandson of Hugh above-mentioned, in the reign of king Henry I. this manor, among the rest of his possessions, came into the king's hands. How it passed from thence, I have not found; but in the reign of king John, it was in the possession of Baldwin, earl of Guisnes, of whom it was then purchased by that eminent man Hugo de Burgh, earl of Kent, and afterwards chief justice of England, who in the 12th year of king Henry III.'s reign, had the king's confirmation of it, who, after he had experienced the vicissitudes of good and bad fortune oftener than any other person perhaps within the compass of our English annals, was afterwards suffered to enjoy those possessions in peace which the king had left him, among which was this manor, and died in the 27th year of that reign. His eldest son John de Burgo, who nevertheless did not enjoy the title of earl of Kent, was found to be his father's next heir, and accordingly on his mother's death, in the 44th year of that reign, succeeded to it, and that year obtained a charter of freewarren for this manor among others. He passed it away, in the 55th year of that reign, to his cousingerman Sir Thomas de Belhus, descended originally of Cambridgeshire, and made seneschal of Pon thieu. He afterwards resided at Stanway, in Essex, in the 13th year of which reign he had a grant of freewarren within this manor. He left three sons, John, of whom hereafter; Nicholas, whose grand-daughter Alice, coheir of her father Thomas, married John Barret, ancestor of the Barrets, of Avely, in Essex, and of the late Thomas Barret Lennard, lord Dacre; and William. The family of Belhouse bore for their arms, Argent, three, lions rampant, gules; to which the younger branch, situated at Alvely, added three crosscroslets, fitchee, gules. Sir John Belhouse, the eldest son, was of Stanway, and a knight-banneret. His descendant Sir Thomas Belhouse, succeeded to it, (fn. 1) on whose death, about the 48th year of king Edward III. Joane his daughter and heir entitled her husband, Robert Knevert, esq. to this manor, which from this family had then acquired the name of Newington Belhouse. He was second son of Sir John Knevertt, lord chancellor, and afterwards resided at Stanway, which he possessed in her right, and anno 7 Henry IV. had a confirmation of the grant of free-warren within this manor made as above-mentioned. He bore for his arms, Argent, a bend, within a bordure engrailed, sable, an annulet for difference. His grandson Edward Knevet, esq. at length succeeded to this manor, and died anno 16 king Henry VII. holding it in capiteby knight's service, leaving Elizabeth his only daughter and heir, who married Sir John Rainsford; but she died in 1507, s. p. After which it devolved to Elizabeth, then the wife of John Clopton, esq. as her next heir, who was descended from Walter de Clopton, who lived in the next reign of king Henry I. They bore for their arms, Sable, a bend ermine, between two cotizes, dancette, or. In the 27th year of Henry VIII. anno 1535, he alienated it to Thomas, lord Cromwell, afterwards earl of Essex, before whose attainder, which happened in the 32d year of that reign, it came, by the king's purchase of it, into the hands of the crown, with its appendages in Brenset and in Dimchurch, where it continued till the 1st year of queen Mary, when it was granted to Edward, lord Clinton and saye, to hold in capite, who the next year passed it away to Mr. Henry Herdson, citizen and alderman of London, (fn. 2) whose grandson Mr. Francis Herdson alienated it, in king James I.'s reign, to Mr.Henry Brockman, of Newington, in whose desendants it continued down to James Brockman, esq. of Beechborough, who by his will gave it to the Rev. Ralph Drake, who afterwards took the name of Brockman, and his eldest son James Drake Brockman, esq. now of Beechborough, is the present owner of it. A court baron is held for this manor.

BERTRAM'S, now usually called Newington Bertram, is another manor, lying adjoining to the former one of Newington Belhouse, and seems to have been antiently a part of the barony of Averenches, or Folkestone, and an appendage to the manor of Tirlingham, in Folkestone, parcel of it. From the family of Averenches, or Albrincis, it passed, in like manner with that of Tirlingham above-mentioned, till the 1st year of queen Mary, when it was granted, with the adjoining manor of Newington Belhouse, and other estates in this neighbourhood, to Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, to hold in capite, who next year sold them to Mr.Henry Herdson, since which they have passed in like manner as has been mentioned above down to Jame Drake Brockman, esq. now of Beechborough, the present possessor of them.

BEECHBOROUCH, antiently written Bilcheborough, is a seat in the north-west part of this parish, close at the foot of the down or chalk hills, which once belonged to the family of Valoigns, in which it continued till Waretius de Valoigns dying without male issue, Sir Francis Fogge, who married his daughter and coheir, became entitled to it. He died in the reign of king Edward III. and was buried in the chancel of Cheriton church, where his figure remained on his monument in Philipott's time, cross-legged, having his arms impaled with those of Valoigns. In his descendants Beechborough continued till the latter end of queen Elizabeth, when George Fogge, esq. of Braborne, passed it away by sale to Mr. Henry Brockman, a younger son of the Brockmans, of Witham, in Essex, (fn. 3) who most probably rebuilt this seat, in which he, as well as his descendants, afterwards resided, and, as appears by their wills, were buried in the chancel in this church. His descendant Sir William Brockman, was of Beechborough, and sheriff anno 18 Charles I. he signalized himself greatly on the king's behalf, especially in the brave defenced he made in 1648 of the town of Maidstone, when it was attacked by General Fairfax, the parliamentary general, with his whole strength, being one of the sharpest conflicts that happened during the war. From him this seat, with his other estates, descended down to James Brockman, esq. who was of Beechborough, where he died unmarried in 1767, and was buried at Newington, being the last heir male of this branch of this family. By his will he devised this seat, with the rest of his estates, to the Rev. Ralph Drake, of St. John's college, Oxford, S.T.B. with an injunction for him to take the name and arms of Brockman, which he was authorized to do by an act passed next year. He made great additions and improvements to this seat, insomuch that he may be said to be the rebuilder of it, and new laid out the adjoining grounds in the modern taste. He died in November, 1781, having married Caroline, youngest daughter of Henry Brockman, gent. of Cheriton, of a younger branch of the Beechborough family, by whom he left two sons, James, his successor here, and Julius, now rector of this parish, with Cheriton consolidated, and four daughter, Anne, married to Wm. Thomas Lock, esq. Elizabeth, to Mr.John Foster, gent. of the Inner Temple; Mary, to William Honywood, esq. of Sibeton, and Sarah. James Brockman, the eldest son, succeeded his father here, and is now of Beechborough, esq. In 1786 he married Catherine Elizabeth, daughter and sole heiress of W. Tatton, D.D.prebendary of Canterbury, by whom he has had issue five sons, James, William, Henry, Tatton, and Edward; and two daughters, Catherine and Caroline. Mr.Brockman bears for his arms, Or, a cross, pattee-fitchee, sable, on a chief of the second, three fleurs de lis, or; which coat was granted and confirmed by William Camden, clarencieux, in 1606, to William Brockman, of Beechborough; to which this family added a second coat, likewise of Brockman, being Parted per fess, dancette, argent and sable, three martlets counterchanged; but the present Mr.Brockman bears the first coat of Brockman only, quartered with Bunce, Glydd, and Drake.

SENE, now called Singe-farm, lies upon the hill, about half a mile northward from the town of Hythe. It was formerly of some note, as having been part of the possessions of the eminent family of Valoigns before-mentioned, in which it continued till a daughter and coheir of Waretins de Valoigns carried it in marriage to Sir Francis Fogge, in whose descendants it continued till the reign of king Henry VIII. when it came into the possession of John Honywood, esq. who resided here, and died possessed of it in 1557, anno 4and 5 Philip and Mary, and was buried in Canterbury cathedral. By his will he gave this mansion of Sene, with all the ornaments pertaining to his chapel there, and his lands in Newington, Cheriton, and Saltwood, to his eldest son Thomas Honywood, esq. in tail male. Thomas Honywood, esq. the son, likewise resided at Sene, and died there in 1580, without male issue; upon which it devolved by the above entail to John Honywood, esq. his younger brother, who was of Evington, which from that time became the residence of his descendants of the eldest branch of this family, afterwards baronets, in this estate has continued down to Sir John Honywood, bart. now of Evington, the present possessor of it. (fn. 4)

BLACKWOSE, alias CANONS-COURT, is a manor adjoining to Senefarm, in this parish, which had the latter name from its having been a religious house for canons, of the Premonstratensian order. It was dedicated to St. Nicholas, and was a cell to the priory of that order, at Lavendene, in Buckinghamshire; but the revenues of it being very insufficient for the support of the members of it, who deserting their abode here, wandered about the county, to the scandal of their order; which induced the chapter of it, at the instance of the barons, that is the free burgesses, of Hythe, to unite this cell to the abbey of St. Radigund, of the same order, with the liberty of continuing it, or of converting it into a grange or farm, which latter the abbot of St. Radigund's did, removing the canons and other members of it to his own abbey. In which state it continued, among the possessions of the abbey, till the 27th year of king Henry VIII. when it was suppressed by the act of that year, as not being of the clear yearly value of two hundred pounds. Thus coming into the hands of the crown, the king granted this manor, among the rest of the possessions of the abbey, in his 29th year, to the archbishop, who not long afterwards again exchanged it with the king, who granted a lease of it to Thomas Honywood, esq. whose youngest son John Honywood, esq. of Elimsted, seems to have obtained a grant of the see of it, in whose descendants, seated at Evington, afterwards baronets, this manor has continued down to Sir John Honywood, bart. of Evington, the present owner of it. A court baron is held for this manor.

COMBE is another manor in the northern part of this parish, which was antiently part of the possessions of Bertram de Crioll, who held it in the reign of king Henry III. and gave it, by the description of his land of Cumbe, with the consent of his sons and his heris, in free and perpetual alms, together with his body, to the abbot and convent of St. Radigund, (fn. 5) for the maintenance of five canons, there to celebrate for the souls of himself, his ancestors, and successors, which was confirmed in 1256 by Margaret, countess of Kent, as being of her fee. After which it continued among the possessions of the abbey till the suppression of it in the 27th year of king Henry VIII. two years after which the king granted this manor, among the rest of the estates of the abbey, to the archbishop, and he not long afterwards exchanged the greatest part of them again with the king; but this manor was reserved with some others out of this exchange. Since which it has continued part of the possessions of the see of Canterbury to the present time, having been from time to time demised on a beneficial lease, Mr. William Rigden, of Echinghill, in Liminge, being the present lessee of it.

The woods called Combe woods, parcel of this manor, are held of the archbishop by a separate lease, by James Drake Brockman, esq. of Beechborough.

Charities.

THOMAS HARVEY, senior, of Newington, by his will in 1460, in the prerogative office, Canterbury, gave his two tenements and gardens, with their appurtenances, to the use, maintaining, and feeding of such as were actually inhabitants, and poor, faithful Christians, and in the greatest need, and wanting hospitality, for ever.

WILLIAM ROLFE gave, as is supposed, about eightly years since, a sum of money to the churchwardens, for the benefits of poor persons not receiving other assistance from the parish, the annual produce of which is 2l. 5s.

The poor constantly relivered are about eighteen, casually as many.

THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the dioceseof Canterbury, and deanryof Dover.

The church, which is dedicated to St. Nicholas, consists of two isles, the northern one being both small and low, and two chancels, having a wooden pointed turret set on the roof at the west end, in which hang five bells. In the chancels, as well as other parts of this church, are several monuments, and numbers of gravestones, some with brasses, of the family of Brockman, who lie buried in a vault in the chancel, and among others a stone, with two figures in brass for Thomas Chylton, obt. 1501, and Thomasine his wife; with the figures of three children. In the north isle a brass for John Clarke, vicar, obt.1501. A monument for Thomas Booth, pastor of this parish, obt. 1650. A stone with a brass plate for Christopher Raittinge, M.D.an Hungarian, for seven years chief physician to the emperor of Russia, buried here in 1612. The case of the font is of oak, most curiously carved, and worth observation. In the church porch are several antient stones, on one of which, coffin fashion,is a cross botony, having the like at the lower part of it, only of a smaller size.

The church of Newington antiently belonged to the abbey of Guynes, in the county of Artois, in Flanders, to which it was appropriated before the 8th year of king Richard II. (fn. 6) and it remained part of the possessions of it till the reign of king Henry V. when it came into the king's hands by escheat, on the death of Katherine, then late abbess of it, and remained in the crown, till king Henry VI. in his 17th year, granted this church, with the advowson of the vicarage, and the lands belonging to the abbey in Newington, to John Kempe, archbishop of York, with licence for him to settle the same on his new founded college of Wye, in free, pure and perpetual alms, and to appropriate the same to the members of it and their successors for ever. (fn. 7) In which situation it remained till the suppression of that college in the 36th year of king Henry VIII. when it was, with all its possessions, surrendered into the king's hands, who that year granted this church, with the presentation of the vicarage, among other premises, to Walter Bucler, esq. to hold in capite, and with certain provisoes for the maintenance of the curates and schoolmaster of Wye. Which grant, on his non-performance of those conditions, became forfeited, and king Charles I. in his 2d and 5th years, granted them, with the proviso for the payment of certain stipends to the above-mentioned curates and schoolmaster, to Rob. Maxwell, from whose heirs this rectory, with the advowson of the vicarage of Newington, was afterwards sold to Sir William Brockman, of Beechborough, whence it has descended down to James Drake Brockman, esq. now of Beechborough, the present owner of the impropriate rectory of this church, with the advowson of the vicarage of it. The stipend to be paid to the curate and schoolmaster of Wye, in Robert Maxwell's grant, was fifty pounds to the former, and sixteen pounds per annum to the latter, out of the parsonages of Newington, Brenset, and Boughton Aluph, and the vicarage appropriate of Wye then granted; which being now in different hands, the portion of those stipends allotted from the par sonages of Newington and Brenset is twenty-one pounds per annum, which continues to be paid at this time. (fn. 8)

The vicarage of Newington is valued in the king's books at 7l. 12s. 6d. and the yearly tenths at 15s. 3d. In 1588 it was valued at forty pounds, communicants one hundred and seventy-five. It is now of the clear yearly certified value of 48l. 17s. 3d. In the year 1771 this vicarage was united to the rectory of Cheriton, both being in the presentation of the same patron.

Within this parish, but so near the town of Hythe, that by many it was thought to be part of it, stood a chapel by the sea shore, dedicated to St. Nicholas, where the fishermen, after any deliverance from danger at sea, used to offer their thanks, and one or more of their best fishes, in gratitude to that saint. This chapel, soon after the reformation, fell to decay, and even the ruins of it have not been visible for a great length of time.

Church of Newington.